Journal box lid



N. H. ARNOLD 2,532,436

JOURNAL BOX LI'D Dec. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Sept. 7, 1946 F INVENTOR. Nae/20M Hdf/wld, my

Dec. 5, 1950 N. H. ARNOLD 2,532,436

JOURNAL BOX LID Filed Sept. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

BYZ

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE J 011E153: 3K LIDStandard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, a corporationof Dela- Application September '2, 1946 Serial No. 695,406

I 5 Claims. 1 This invention relates to journal boxes for railway carsand more particularly to an improved spring for biasing the lids of suchboxes toward closed position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a pre-tensionedspring adapted to exert its pressure against substantially-the center ofthe lid, and wherein the ends of said spring are arranged so as to passsubstantially around the perifery of the lid and bear thereagainstwhenthe lid is in closed position to cause said lid to tightlyengage theedges of the journal box opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved springfor journal box lids said lid is in open position.

Other objects, and advantages-will appear in the following descriptionthereof.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a plan View of a journal box lid hinged to a journal box andhaving the invention appled thereto.

Figure 2 is a half top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 showing the lid in partly openposition.

Figure 5 is also a section similar to Figure 3 showing the lid in fullyopened position.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one-half of the spring showing, indotted lines, the spring as, it appears when the coils are tensioned andas they would appear applied to the lid as in Figure 3.

In the drawings the journal box is shown at l, formed with a hinge lug2, provided with an aperture for pivotally connecting an associated lid3 therewith, and with angularly disposed surfaces 4 and 5 for engagementby the spring biased upper central extension 5 of said lid 3.

The lid 3 is formed preferably of pressed sheet steel and is providedwith a pair of hinge eyes or hooks l integrally formed on its upperedge, one at each. side of the lug, and the lid is hingedly connected tothe journal box by a pin 8 which 1 2 extends through said eyes I and theaperture of the lug 2 .and is held in place by cotter .9. Otherwise theiid is of the usual form, with the exception of a pair of laterallyspaced panels l0 formed in the body portion thereof.

The resilient means for holding or biasing the lid toward closedposition is shown at ll and comprises a tension spring, which is bent insubstantially channel form, as at- E2, intermediate its ends so as toextend behind the lug 2, passing under the pin 8. Each arm of saidportion i2 is formed into a coil 13 which surrounds the pin 8 betweenlug 2 and eyes I, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. From the coil iteach spring wire extends downwardly (-E i) over the face of the lid tosubstantially the center thereof and is formed into a coil 11%, eachlocated within a panel Ii From the coils it each spnng wire is formed soas .to extend about the perifery of a panel H], as shown in Figure 1. Itwill be noted that the .outer margins of the panels are locatedapproximately'over the edges i501" the journal box opening andconsequently the spring bears not only against the center of the lid butagainst substant'ially the perifery thereof as well, resulting in atight contact of the lid against said edges 15.

In Figure 3 it will be noted that when the lid is in normal positonhearing flatly against the edges iii of the box opening, the innersurface of the extension 6 of the lid bears against the surface t of thelug. When it becomes desirable to raise the lid, extension 6 is forcedto'slide up .over the cam surface .16 between surfaces 4 and 5., againstthe tension of the spring (see Fig. 4) until said extension 8 passessaid cam surface l6 fand rests upon surface 5, as seen in Figure 5.

' spring unassembled and with no tension in the coils. In dotted linesthe spring is shown tensional and as it would appear applied to a lid inclosed position, as in Fig. 3. In other words, arm 12 is movedanti-clockwise to the position shown in dotted lines, which willpre-tension coils 13, in which position the spring is applied. to thejournal box, pin 8 passing through said coils is. The arms i? also mustbe brought to the position shown in dotted lines which will pro-tensioncoils l4. Thus it is apparent that when the spring is applied to the boxand lid, coils l3 and I4, both of which are pre-tensioned, cooperate tobias the lid toward closed position, and that since the ends of thespring extend substantially around the perifery of the lid, said lid isfinally held against the edges of the journal box opening.

The spring is held tothe lid in the usual mannor, as by. the clamps I8,riveted to the lid and passing over the arms of the spring below coil M.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of theclaims, will occur to persons skilled in th art.

I claim:

1. In a journal box having a hinge lug projecting upwardly therefrom andprovided with angularly disposed surfaces and a hinge pin associatedwith said lug for pivotally connecting an associated lid therewith; aunitary spring adapted to be mounted upon said lid and formed with aportion engageable with said lug to hold said lid in open or closedposition upon said box, said spring having coils formed therein adjacentsaid portion encircling said pin on opposite sides of said lug, andother coils formed therein spaced from said portion, said lid having anextension bearing against one of said surfaces when in closed positionand against the other of said surfaces when in open position, said coilscooperating to bias said lid toward closed position. 2. In a journal boxhaving a hinge lug projecting upwardly therefrom and a hinge pinassociated with said lug for pivotally connecting an associated lidtherewith; a spring adapted to be mounted upon said lid and formed witha portion extending behind said lug to hold said lid in open or closedposition upon said box, said spring having coils formed therein adjacentsaid portion adapted to encircle said hinge pin on opposite sides ofsaid lug, and other coils formed therein spaced from said portion, saidcoils cooperating to bias said lid toward closed position.

3. In a journal box having a hinge lug projecting upwardly therefrom anda hinge pin associated with said lug for pivotally connecting anassociated lid therewith; a spring adapted to be mounted upon said lidand formed with a portion extending behind and on opposite sides of saidlug to hold said lid in open or closed position upon said box, saidspring having spaced aligned coils formed therein encircling said hingepin when applied to said box, and other coils formed therein adapted tobear against the central portion of said lid, said coils cooperating tobias said lid toward closed position.

4. In a journal box having a hinge lug projecting upwardly therefrom,and provided with angularly disposed surfaces having a cam surfacetherebetween and a hinge pin associated with said lug for pivotallyconnecting an associated lid therewith, a spring adapted to beassociated with said lid and formed with a portion extendingsubstantially around said lug, said spring having longitudinally spacedcoils formed therein adjacent said portion adapted to surround said pinon opposite sides of said lug, and other coils formed therein spacedfrom said portion adapted to bear against the central portion of saidlid, said lid having an extension bearing against one of said surfaceswhen in closed position andpassing over said cam surface to the other ofsaid surfaces when in open position, said coils cooperating to bias saidlid toward closed position, said cam surface holding said lid openagainst the bias of said coils.

5. In a journal box having a hinge lug projecting upwardly therefrom anda hinge pin associated with said lug for pivotally connecting anassociated lid therewith; a spring adapted to be mounted upon said lidand formed with a portion engageable with said lug to hold said lid inopen or closed position upon said box, said spring having coils formedtherein eccentric with the axis of said hinge pin when applied to saidbox, and other coils formed therein adapted to bear against the centralportion of said lid, said coils cooperating to bias said lid towardclosed position, the ends of said last mentioned coils provided withextensions engageable with the perifery of said lid.

NICHOLAS H. ARNOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 855,362 Symington May 28, 19071,218,409 Keeler Mar. 6, 1917 1,400,253 Wicker Dec. 13, 1921 1,914,475Barrows June 20, 1933 1,922,015 Casey Aug. 8, 1933 2,183,407 RuliancichDec. 12, 1939

